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March 31, 1964 J. E. HANCOCK REELING AND UNREELING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1961 FIG.I

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INVENTOR.

JOHN E HANCOCK March 31, 1964 HANCQCK 3,127,126

REELING AND UNREELING APPARATUS Filed March, 6, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet 2 L INVENTOR.

JOHN E. HANCOCK March 31, 1964 J. E. HANCOCK REELING AND UNREELING APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. IO

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United States Patent Ofiice 3,127,125 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 3,127,126 REELING AND UNREELING APPARATUS John E. Hancock, 3733 Chestnut Ave., Long Beach, Calif.

' Filed Mar. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 93,452

7 Claims. (Cl. 242-99) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to reeling and unreeling apparatus and, more particularly, relates to improved anchor reeling and unreeling apparatus for boatsparticularly small boats, although not specifically so limited. The novel apparatus of the present invention is so arranged as to provide for manual reelwinding operation of the apparatus when desired and/ or for motorized reel-winding operation of the apparatus, when desired.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel reeling and unreeling apparatus capable of manual or motorized reel-winding operation.

It is a further object to provide in one specific form of the invention anchor rope reeling and unreeling apparatus for boats capable of manual or motorized reelwinding operation.

It is a further object to provide novel reeling and unreeling apparatus of the character set forth in either of the preceding objects wherein the motorized reel-winding operation is effected by driving motor means coupled through one-way coupling means whereby when the motor is energized, the reel will be power-driven in a reel-winding direction and whereby, when the motor is de-energized, the one-way coupling means will effectively act as an immobilizing means for effectively immobilizing the reel when handle means associated with the reel is in locked position.

It is a further object to provide novel reeling and unreeling apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding object wherein the handle means can be moved to an unlocked position for free spinning of the reel during extension of an anchor rope or the like therefrom and which can be actuated, when in said unlocked position, into a manual reel-winding position for effectively manually rotating the reel in a reel-winding direction.

It is a further object to provide apparatus of the character referred to in any of the preceding objects wherein it comprises an anchor reeling and unreeling apparatus for rapidly and easily launching a boat anchor and for similarly retrieving it either by manual or motorized reelwinding operation of the reel in a manner which virtually eliminates all fatiguing manual effort in connection with an anchoring and/or deanchoring operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide novel anchor reeling and unreeling apparatus for boats of the character defined in the immediately preceding object wherein limit switch means is provided for automatically de-energizing the driving motor means at the end of a motorized reel-winding operation. In one preferred form, this is provided by positioning said limit switch means for abutment and operation by an anchor as it is drawn into an engaged and retained position in an anchor-holding means in a boat.

It is a further object to provide novel reeling and unreeling apparatus of the character referred to above which is of extremely simple, cheap, foolproof construction such as to be conducive to widespread use thereof.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter for exemplary rather than limiting purposes and will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study thereof.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment, and several variations of portions thereof, are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying drawings and are described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section, of one illustrative form of the present invention wherein it is employed in an anchor (or anchorrope) reeling and unreeling system.

MG. 2 is a sectional view of the reel of FIG. 1 taken in the direction of the arrows 22 of FIG. 1 with the handle in the locked position which effectively immobilizes the reel until such time as the driving motor is energized and the reel is then power-driven in a reel-winding direction. However, when the motor is de-energized, the apparatus is completely locked when in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken in the direction of the arrows 33.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view (partly broken away) taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrates the apparatus with the handle in the reel-free-spinning position which allows the rope carried by the capstan to be freely paid out or extended with respect to the reel.

FIG. 6 is a view generally similar to FIG. 4 but illustrates the apparatus after the handle has been moved to the manual reel-winding position while still in the unlocked position shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a View taken in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates a typical limit switch for de-energizing the reel-driving motor when the anchor is in fully retrieved position.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, fragmentary view of the anchor-ejecting or propelling means positioned at the outlet of the anchor housing immediately adjacent to the inside of the anchor fluke.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the anchor-retaining and release apparatus shown in FIG. 8 and also shows the anchor-operated limit switch for de-energizing the driving motor.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary circuit schematic of the form of the invention shown in the earlier figures.

Referring to the figures for exemplary purposes, one illustrative embodiment of the invention takes a typical exemplary form wherein it comprises a reel, indicated generally at 16, which is adapted to carry one end of an anchor rope 28, which has attached to the other end thereof an anchor, one specific form of which is shown generally at 17, the exemplary form includes an anchor housing 18 attached to a boat 30 in the manner best shown in FIG. 1. This type of anchor is illustrated in greater detail and more specifically claimed, per se, in my granted Patent No. 2,873,711, issued on February 17, 1959. The anchor housing 18 is adapted to normally retain the anchor 17 in the fully retrieved position shown in FIG. 1 until such time as it is released. This will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.

In the specific form iliustrated, the reel indicated generally at 16 is attached underneath a deck portion 19 of the boat 30 by attachment screws 40 which fasten the mounting plate 22 underneath the deck portion 19 of the boat 30. The attachment plate 22 has a bolt 42 attached thereto by a nut 43, with the bolt also carrying bearing means 44 consisting of an outer bearing race 45 and an inner bearing portion 46 with ball bearing means 47 interposed therebetween and retained in position by a washer means 48 held thereagainst by the head 49 of the bolt 42. The arrangement is such that the member 50 is effectively rotatably mounted on a longitudinal axis of revolution 5'1 which extends coaxially through all of the rotating parts and in alignment with the axle member 52 which will be described hereinafter. The outer rim of the rotatably mounted member 50 is fastened by suitable hollow rivet means 41 to an inclined bearing means, indicated generally at 53, which has a frusto-conical frictional engagement surface means 54U adapted to bear against a similar frusto-conical frictional engagement portion 55U of an upper capstan member portion 56U when the apparatus is in the locked position shown in FIGS. 14, which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The upper capstan member portion 56U is effectively connected to a lower capstan member portion 56L whereby the two together comprise a capstan indicated generally at 56, which is effectively rotatably mounted with respect to the longitudinal axis of rotation 51 by means of its positioning between the upper frusto-conical frictional engagement surface means 54U of the upper bearing means 53 and the lower frusto-conical frictional engagement surface means 54L of the lower bearing means, indicated generally at 58; said upper bearing means 53 being connected to the axle 52 in the manner indicated at 59 and retained there by the washer 60, and said lower bearing means 58 being effectively non-rotatably connected with respect to the axle 52 by means of the locking ball bearing 61 in the slot 62.

The assembly is fastened together by a ball bearing race member 63 which is fastened by lock nut 64 threaded on the end of the hollow axle 52 in a manner such as to act as a retainer for the ball bearings 65 which minimize friction. The outer ends of the race member 63 are fastened by suitable screw means 66 to each of parallel side wall portions 67 which comprise upper extensions of the handle member indicated generally at 23, whereby to pivotally mount said handle member 23 for rotation about a transverse axis extending through the screws 66 and for rotation about the longitudinal axis of rotation 51 by means of the rotative connection provided by the ball bearing means 65. This effectively provides universal joint or coupling means interconnecting the handle means 23 with respect to the reel 16.

The handle means 23 is provided with a rotatively mounted manually graspable knob 24 for facilitating movement of the handle. The inner end of the handle means around the pivotal connection thereof provided by the screws 66 is provided with efiective cam means 68 which has a surface 69 comprising the locking surface portion thereof and the motorized reel-winding portion thereof, a surface 70 which comprises the reel-freespinning portion thereof, and a surface 71 which comprises the free-spinning and manual reel-winding portion thereof. These three cam surfaces 69, 70, and 71 will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.

The handle 23 is also provided with means for manually rotating the capstan 56 in a reel-winding direction. In the specific form illustrated, this comprises the locking pin 25 insertible into any one of the apertures 29 in the lower capstan portion 56L, which causes rotation of the handle 23 to effectively rotate the capstan 56 in a reelwinding direction.

On the other hand, when the handle 23 is moved outwardly from the manual reel-winding position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 into the position shown in FIG. 5, the capstan 56 is still in the free-spinning position but is now disengaged from the handle 23. Therefore, this is the position into which the handle is moved when the anchor 17 is to be released from the anchor housing 18 and projected from the boat for the purpose of anchoring the boat. The further outwardly displaced position of the handle shown in FIGS. 1-4 comprises a locked position wherein the locking surface portion 69 of the cam 68 (which is displaced further from the axis of the fastening screws 66 than the other cam surface portions 70 and 71) forces the lower bearing means 58 upwardly along the axle 52 so as to effectively constrict the frusto-conical frictional engagement portions 55U and SSL of the capstan 56 between the frusto-conical frictional engagement surface means 54L and 54U of the lower bearing means 58 and the upper bearing means 53. This has the effect of locking the capstan 56 with respect to the upper bearing means 53, which is attached by the plate 50 and the drive belt means 72 positioned in the drive belt groove means 73, which in turn is connected to the pulley sheave 74 which is connected to a worm wheel 75 in engagement with a worm 76. Since the worm 76 cannot be rotated by the worm wheel 75, they together constitute irreversible or non-reversible one-way coupling means, indicated generally at 77, connected between the shaft 78 0f the drive motor 79 and the upper bearing means 53. Said one-way coupling means 77 will effectively immobilize the upper bearing means 53 and consequently the capstan 56 locked between the surfaces 54U and 54L when the motor 79 is de-energized and when the handle 23 is in the locking position shown in FIGS. 1-47 Thus, the one-way coupling means 77 may be said to comprise immobilizing means for immobilizing the capstan 56 under such conditions, while the motor means 79, the one-way coupling means 77, the drive belt 72, and the drive belt groove 73 may be said to comprise motorized means for rotating the capstan 56 as an alternative to manual rotation of the capstan 56 by the handle 23 when the pin 25 is engaged in the aperture 29 in the manner shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and described hereinbefore.

The driving motor 79, in the specific example illustrated, comprises a low voltage D.C. shunt-start motor, such as a l2-volt motor, or the like, since 12-volt power supplies are frequently available in boats. However, the invention is not specifically so limited, and various types of driving motors of various voltages and current ratings, either DC. or A.C., may be employed for this purpose. This is also true of the one-way coupling means, which may be modified substantially within the basic spirit and scope of the present invention.

The motor 79 is provided with electric circuit means 80 and energization switch means 81 (best shown in FIGS. 1 and 11) placed in a convenient location on the deck portion 19 of the boat 30 for controllable operation whenever the boat is anchored and the handle 23 is in the locked position shown in FIGS. 1-4. This will cause the anchor to be completely reeled up into the position shown in FIG. 1, at which time the front end of the anchor shank 83 strikes a limit switch, indicated at 82, which opens the circuit 80 and de-energizes the driving motor 79 whereby to stop the motorized reel-winding rotation of the capstan 56.

In the specific example illustrated, the anchor 17 has a curved disc-shaped fluke 32 at the anchor end, as shown in FIG. 1. The fluke 32 is provided with a shank portion 83 which is effectively mounted within the anchor housing 18 for instantaneous release and ejection therefrom, when desired. Retaining and selectively operable release means 33 is provided and is shown in a retaining position in FIG. 1 and in release position in FIG. 8. This retaining means 33 is normally mounted on the anchor housing 18 so as to be easily accessible and comprises a lever 34 which is actuatable in a counterclockwise manner as indicated in FIG. 8 by the arrow F in order to force the spring-biasing means 35 upward as indicated by the arrow H, whereby to lift pin 36 out of the anchor shaft aperture 37, thereby releasing the anchor 17 as shown in FIG. 8, whereupon the anchor 17 is ejected forcibly by the spring-biased propelling means 38 attached to the housing 18 as shown in FIG. 9. The anchor housing 18 has an inlet and/or outlet aperture 84 shown in FIG. 1, which is designed to receive the anchor 17 in the manner shown in FIG. 1 so as to facilitate the alignment of the anchor 17, upon ingress, for automatic locking therein. A ring 39 is slidably attached to the anchor 17 and to cable means 28 for movement along the shank 83 of the anchor 17 in order to selectively control the direction and location of force applied thereto along the entire length of the shank 83 in order to remove a badly hooked or fouled anchor. This is set forth in greater detail in my granted Patent No. 2,873,711, issued on February 17, 1959. The anchor 17 is easily retrievable from an anchored position by winding the reel 16 in either the manually operated manner or the motorized manner while moving the boat 30 in a direction toward the anchor until the anchor housing 18 is substantially over the anchor 17.

It should be clearly noted that the above description of the anchor 17, the anchor housing 18, and the retaining and selectively operable release means 33 describes one exemplary form of arrangement which can be used with the novel reeling and unreeling apparatus of the present invention. However, the present invention is not specifically limited to this particular anchor, anchor housing, and retaining and selectively operable releasable means but is intended to include and comprehend various other anchor types and anchor mounting and release arrangements. Furthermore, it should be noted that, broadly speaking, the present invention is directed to any type of bi-directional reeling and unreeling apparatus which can be controllably manually operated in a reel-winding direction or controllably motor driven in a reel-winding direction in the novel manner defined hereinbefore.

It should be noted that the term capstan is merely meant to mean a storage drum or structure on which a rope or cable or other longitudinal tensile member is adapted to be wound and is used in the same sense as a flanged reel.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. Reeling and unreeling apparatus, comprising: a bidirectional reel provided with axle means and a handle pivotally mounted with respect to said axle for actuating said reel between locked and unlocked positions, one of said positions comprising a reel-winding position, said reel including two longitudinally spaced bearing means rotatably disposed in coaxial relationship with respect to a longitudinal axis of rotation extending coaxially centrally through said axle and having opposed longitudinally spaced inner ends, with at least one of said inner ends having frictional engagement surface means, said bearing means having said frictional engagement surface means being additionally provided with means normally rotatively immobilizing said bearing means, said reel comprising a capstan rotatably mounted around said axle and having at least one frictional engagement portion positioned adjacent said frictional engagement surface means, at least one of said bearing means being longitudinally slidable with respect to said axle and being positioned for forcible abutment and longitudinal slidable movement toward the other of said bearing means in response to movement of said handle into said locked position, thereby forcing said frictional engagement surface means into frictional engagement with said frictional engagement portion of said capstan; and controllably energizable motor means drivingly engaged with respect to said capstan to rotate said capstan in a reel-winding direction.

2. Reeling and unreeling apparatus, comprising: a bidirectional reel provided with axle means and a handle pivotally mounted with respect to said axle for actuating said reel between locked and unlocked positions, one of said positions comprising a reel-winding position, said reel including two longitudinally spaced bearing means rotatably disposed in coaxial relationship with respect to a longitudinal axis of rotation extending coaxially centrally through said axle and having opposed longitudinally spaced inner ends, with at least one of said inner ends having frictional engagement surface means, said bearing means having said frictional engagement surface means being additionally provided with means normally rotatively immobilizing said bearing means, said reel comprising a capstan rotatably mounted around said axle and having at least one frictional engagement portion positioned adjacent to said frictional engagement surface means, at least one of said bearing means being longitudinally slidable with respect to said axle and being positioned for forcible abutment and longitudinal slidable movement toward the other of said bearing means in response to movement of said handle into said locked position, thereby forcing said frictional engagement surface means into frictional engagement with said frictional engagement portion of said capstan; controllably energized motor means drivingly engaged with respect to said capstan to rotate said capstan in a reel-winding direction; and limit switch means for controllably de-energizing said motor means in response to rotation of said capstan to a predetermined position.

3. Reeling and unreeling apparatus, comprising: a bidirectional reel provided with axle means and a handle pivotally mounted with respect to said axle for actuating said reel between locked and unlocked positions, one of said positions comprising a reel-winding position, said reel including two longitudinally spaced bearing means rotatably disposed in coaxial relationship with respect to a longitudinal axis of rotation extending coaxially centrally through said axle and having opposed longitudinally spaced inner ends, with at least one of said inner ends having frictional engagement surface means, said bearing means having said frictional engagement surface means being additionally provided with means normally rotatively immobilizing said bearing means, said reel comprising a capstan rotatably mounted around said axle and having at least one frictional engagement portion positioned adjacent to said frictional engagement surface means, at least one of said bearing means being longitudinally slidable with respect to said axle and being positioned for forcible abutment and longitudinal slidable movement toward the other of said bearing means in response to movement of said handle into said locked position, thereby forcing said frictional engagement surface means into frictional engagement with said frictional engagement portion of said capstan; and controllably energizable motor means drivingly connected with respect to said capstan, said immobilizing means comprising nonreversible one-way coupling means between the motor means and said bearing means, said motor means being drivingly engaged through said coupling means with respect to said bearing means when energized to rotate said capstan in a reel-winding direction.

4. Reeling and unreeling apparatus, comprising: a bi directional reel provided with axle means and a handle pivotally mounted with respect to said axle for actuating said reel between locked and unlocked positions, one of said positions comprising a reel-winding position, said reel including two longitudinally spaced bearing means rotatably disposed in coaxial relationship with respect to 'a longitudinal axis of rotation extending coaxially centrally through said axle and having opposed longitudinally spaced inner ends, with at least one of said inner ends having frictional engagement surface means, said bearing means having said frictional engagement surface means being additionally provided with means normally rotatively immobilizing said bearing means, said reel comprising a capstan rotatably mounted around said axle and having at least one frictional engagement portion positioned adjacent to said frictional engagement surface means, at least one of said bearing means being longitudinally slidable with respect to said axle and being positioned for forcible abutment and longitudinal slidable movement toward the other of said bearing means in response to movement of said handle into said locked position, thereby forcing said frictional engagement surface means into frictional engagement with said frictional engagement portion of said capstan; and capstan rotating means for rotating said capstan in a reel-winding direction including controllably energized motor means drivingly engaged with respect to said capstan, said immobilizing means comprising non-reversible one-way coupling means between the motor means and said bearing means, said motor means being drivingly engaged through the coupling means with respect to said bearing means when energized, the other bearing means being rotatably locked to said axle and longitudinally slidably mounted thereon.

5. Boat anchoring apparatus, comprising: an anchor; a bi-directional anchor line reel operable to raise and lower said anchor; a handle drivingly engageable with said reel for manual operation thereof, said handle being drivingly disengageable from said reel when said anchor is to be lowered; power-operated means; first means interposed between said power-operated means and said reel and coupled to said power-operated means; and second means interposed between said handle and said reel and operative by said handle to drivingly connect said reel and said first means for driving said reel, said first means including a non-reversible one-way coupling member that restrains said reel from unreeling said line when said second means is operated.

6. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 5 wherein said handle is rotatably mounted with respect to the axis of said reel.

7. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 5 wherein said power-operated means includes an electric motor and there are provided limit switch means for controllably de-energizing said electric motor in response to rotation of said reel to a predetermined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,462,388 Smith July 17, 1923 2,190,398 Bugati Feb. 13, 1940 2,669,427 Dowrelio Feb. 16, 1954 2,973,918 Hancock Mar. 17, 1961 

5. BOAT ANCHORING APPARATUS, COMPRISING; AN ANCHOR; A BI-DIRECTIONAL ANCHOR LINE REEL OPERABLE TO RAISE AND LOWER SAID ANCHOR; A HANDLE DRIVINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID REEL FOR MANUAL OPERATION THEREOF SAID HANDLE BEING DRIVINGLY DISENGAGEABLE FORM SAID REEL WHEN SAID ANCHOR IS TO BE LOWERED: POWER-OPERATED MEANS; FIRST MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID POWER-OPERATED MEANS AND SAID REEL AND COUPLED TO SAID POWER-OPERATED MEANS; AND SECOND MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID HANDLE AND SAID REEL AND OPERATIVE BY SAID HANDLE TO DRIVINGLY CONNECT SAID REEL AND SAID FIRST MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID REEL, SAID FIRST MEANS INCLUDING A NON-REVERSIBLE ONE-WAY COUPLING MEMBER THAT RESTRAINS SAID REEL UNREELING SAID LINE WHEN SAID SECOND MEANS IS OPERATED. 